1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electric vehicle.
2. Related Art
There is known an electric vehicle in which a suspension of a rear wheel is arranged in a central section of a vehicle so that the suspension and a battery are overlapped in side view of the vehicle (for example, refer to Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2013-154859).
In an electric vehicle, maximum power and traveling range depend on a battery capacity, and in order to increase the maximum power and extend the traveling range, it is hence required to mount many batteries in a small-sized and lightweight vehicle body.
In a case where an electric motorcycle is considered as a specific example of an electric vehicle, a part of a vehicle body is interposed between insides of thighs of a rider. Thus, in designing of the vehicle, since the vehicle should be prevented from interfering with a riding position of the rider, strict restrictions are placed on sizes of a battery volume in either of width and vertical directions. Even if the battery volume is enlarged in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle, such enlargement results in increase in a wheel base and hence, increase in size and weight of the vehicle.
On the other hand, the cost and weight of the electric vehicle can be reduced by employing a structure in which a suspension is arranged so as to be extendable in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle thereby eliminating a link mechanism for interlocking the suspension and a swing arm. This structure can also improve riding comfort by adding progressive characteristics to the suspension.